'We meet for dinner from time to time and noticed that music was generally secondary in places that provided live music. The music genres were also limited,' says Vicky Fung Wing-ki, who set up the collective with fellow composers Jone Chui Kai-chung, Harry Ng Chung-hang, Pong Nan and Peter Kam Pui-tat, winner of a best music award at the Berlin Film Festival.

'We decided to fill the gap by offering different styles nightly.'

About a year after coming up with the idea, the musicians teamed up with friends in the dining and advertising sectors to open Backstage last December.

'It's a new business, so it involves risks. But we all have stable incomes from other jobs,' Fung says. Fitted with acoustics to enhance sound quality, the 2,000 sq ft venue on Wellington Street has, since it opened, presented a changing nightly lineup, ranging from soothing ballads and light jazz to mid-tempo pop and rock.

Monday and Wednesday nights are reserved for newcomers, and only those who impress the owners and the audience are invited back again.

Narcissus lead singer Nanase Lung Ho-man and her pop band are looking forward to their 90-minute set later this month. Although nervous about being able to win over diners at the French-Italian restaurant, 26-year-old Lung says, 'Nothing beats the excitement of performing in front of a live audience. It's easy to release material on the internet these days but we treasure live feedback from audiences the most.'

Established musicians who have appeared include drummer Jun Kung Sek-leung and members of the Green Coffee collective. 'We enjoy the spontaneity. We don't have to rehearse or prepare a song list. We just go on stage and improvise,' Fung says. 'As musicians, we enjoy playing live but rarely find a cosy space that brings music up close and personal.'

Having composers of familiar hits perform their own songs is a thrill for diners such as Swen Wong Sze-wan. 'I've heard the songs they composed for pop singers but seeing them perform live is a different experience,' says the accountant. 'I like how they rearrange the music too.'

Chris Bowers is another key figure in the drive to promote live music through The Underground, a programme she organises in local pubs to showcase original music, established and unsigned bands.

An Underground night at the Cavern on Saturday features Henry Chung & the HK Blues Allstars, Jaigon, Exit on Twelve and the Quasar. The lineup will bring the number of bands showcased to 200 - a huge achievement when most bar and club owners prefer to hire Filipino cover bands. Even so, it's been a struggle convincing more bars to open the stage to local groups.

'It was and still is difficult,' says Bowers, lead singer of rock band Thinking Out Loud. 'The concept of having a live music night is still novel to many bars.'

Bowers is heartened, however, by the emergence of more indie bands and singer-songwriters in the past three years. 'The economy started picking up after Sars and more people returned from universities overseas where they experienced live gigs at a grass-roots level,' she says. 'The [standards of] bands are getting better, too.'

Original music should be given more attention, she says. 'If the Beatles or the Kooks just played covers, do you think we would have heard of them?' she says. 'It is essential for a music scene to have homegrown material. Original music creates a culture, nurturing people and allowing their creative juices to flow. Bands are baring their souls and, along the way, people relate to them.'

Singer-songwriter Anida Chan Po-wai agrees. 'Musicians would have a greater incentive to continue writing songs if there were more avenues for us to share our compositions,' says Chan, who helps organise live gigs for aspiring musicians to launch their material at Mackie Kitchen in Causeway Bay.

DY Club, an upstairs cafe that doubles as a gallery, is helping to reverse the cover-band habit by introducing a regular Friday night showcase for local three-man group, Gothic.

'The resident band has become part of our identity. There're not many venues which feature resident local bands. We want to fill the void,' says owner Joe Fu. 'Fans also know where to look for them if they have a regular venue to perform in.'

To help aspiring groups hone their craft, Bowers has introduced online reviews of their performances after each gig. Mostly written by members of the audience, they provide important feedback for the musicians.

At The Backstage, Fung and her partners support amateur musicians in a different way. 'Some novices might not be familiar with the setting or don't have a full band, so we back them up by jamming with them,' she says.

Many top performers in Taiwan established their reputations performing in small, live music venues, says Chan, who frequently performs at clubs in Taipei. Veteran rocker Wu Bai, hot new band Sodagreen and rising singer-songwriter Deserts Chang Xuan are prominent examples of acts that garnered huge followings playing in pubs before signing recording deals.

Top recording artists also get a buzz from the closer interaction with audiences and charged atmosphere at live performances, Fung says.

'There's a greater emphasis on live performances in the mainstream market in recent years,' Fung says. 'It's an opportunity for singers to show what they're made of; there's no way they can hide their flaws when performing in a small venue.'

At Club Cixi, a regular venue for Underground events, marketing manager Louis Lau Kin-pong says live shows bring in a more diverse clientele. 'Customers of the band shows are different from our regular club nights,' he says. 'Although there's no immediate boost of revenue on the show nights, the bands bring in people who might otherwise not have heard of our club. Some even booked the venue for corporate functions and private parties. It's the long-term business opportunity that counts.'

Record company executives also recognise that live shows can help boost CD sales. 'A good live performance can leave a lasting impression on an audience. It's something that cannot be achieved through airing songs on radio stations,' says Tony Yapp, chief executive of East Asia Music. 'And if audiences like the live performances of an artist, they'll buy the album.'

Singers need smaller venues to nurture their skills. 'Stars such as Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing and Anita Mui Yim-fong started their careers singing in lounges. During the 1970s and 80s, lounges were their training ground,' Yapp says.

These were lost when karaoke culture took over. 'With more venues opening up for gigs, I hope the music scene will go back to its prime when listeners could see singers perform up close,' he says.

Through The Backstage, Fung hopes to inject new blood into a music scene saturated with teeny-bopper acts that can barely hold a note and whose primary role is to help advertisers endorse products. Newcomers with potential get job referrals or are hired as part-time session musicians.

'Listeners are starting to tire of packaged idols who can't sing,' she says.